Strategy & Insight

If there’s one thing most people know about Ron Dennis, it’s how much of a perfectionist he is about.. well everything really. Here is a man who has built McLaren up to become the most respected of all race teams, second only to Ferrari in some people’s eyes.

So when I first watched their new animation series – Tooned, produced together with the creative wizards at Framestore, I was curious to find out about McLaren’s goals for the project and how it would push the boundaries for branded content in motorsport.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who’s been following Group Lotus recently, that Dany Bahar, who was fired as CEO back in June this year, has initiated a claim for £6.7m ($10.6 million) against his former employers for “unlawful early termination of his employment”.

During the last few months we’ve immersed ourselves in several of Volvo’s most dynamic new models, to learn about how the marque is positioned in 2012 and why you might chose to buy one rather than its more prolific German competitors.

For a nation endowed with the DNA of such maverick automotive legends as Chapman, Cooper and Brown, it seems ironic that the marque which now leads the plethora of niche British sports car manufacturers is one that was only founded in the latter part of the 20th century.

The first production Exige S came off the assembly line last week, beginning a new phase for the Norfolk sportscar maker. Chief Operating Officer, Aslam Farikullah, marked the milestone event by speaking out for the first time about his plans for the company.

It’s the mark of a great driving video that even when frozen still – in a photograph – you can still soak in the unique experience of Ken Block at maximum attack on the streets of San Francisco. Gymkhana FIVE: Ultimate Urban Playground has already made an impact just days after it was released earlier this week.

Volkswagen has announced this morning that it has acquired the remaining 50.1 per cent of Porsche AG, not already owned by Volkswagen and will now move to incorporate the sports car maker generating approximately €320 million of net synergies.

Each year the Goodwood Festival of Speed showcases a featured marque, a car maker which inspires adoration, perhaps because of its style, success on the track, or the enigmatic founder behind its name. This year the opportunity falls to Lotus which is celebrated with a with a huge 28-metre-high sculpture outside Goodwood House.

Caterham Group, the parent company of Caterham Cars, Caterham F1 Team, Caterham Composites and CTI (Caterham Technology & Innovation) has today confirmed that Graham Macdonald, previously CFO of Caterham Cars will step up to the role of CEO after current Chief Executive Officer Ansar Ali leaves the business by mutual consent.